Brive overcame basement side Lyon22-9 in an ill-disciplined clash at the Matmut stadium on Friday evening. A total of five yellow cards and two reds were brandished during the match Lyon's Antonio Testa and Brive's Pablo Henn being dismissed after a mass brawl early in the second half.

The teams went into half time with Brive leading 12-9 after Mathieu Belie slotted four penalties to Lyon fullback Lee Thomas' three. Brive took control of the match in the second period when winger Ronnie Cooke breached the Lyon defences and Belie converted the try. A late penalty from Julien Caminati sealed the victory for Brive.

Castres crashed to a 23-12 defeat away to Agen in the Top 14 on Friday evening. Agen amassed a 16-6 lead by half time Conrad Barnard adding three penalties to Gert Muller's early converted try. Castres fullback Romain Teulet kept the visitors in the match with two penalties in the opening period and one after the break.

However Agen winger Saimoni Vaka crashed over, with Barnard converting again, to give the hosts a decisive lead in the 52nd minute. Teulet landed a further penalty for Castres but fourth-place could not overcome their hosts.